The origins of progressive rock (proto-prog)

earlyprog wrote: AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: I think most people on here would agree that for the most part full blown prog didn't really happen until the KC debut. There were possibly a few exceptions before that such as the Nice but as a full blown genre I think it's safe to say that ITCOTCK is the one that kicked the doors down.  Consensus: ItCotCK was the first true REALIZATION of the progressive rock album.  Album contenders before that was at the CONCEPTUALIZATION stage.

I don't think we can have a proto prog discussion without mentioning the mellotron. This taped sampling system was a key and gateway into early prog with it's constantly out of tune and slightly slowed down spacy sound. It allowed several proto proggers to venture into more complex orchestral type arrangements which later led to the use of Moog synths and partial to full orchestral accompaniment.

Edited by SteveG - June 07 2018 at 04:13

dr wu23 wrote: Certainly Procol Harum as Mortte mentioned but the first two both qualify....and the first Nice...Emerlist Davjack also...Moody Blues of course.....early Traffic imo.....and there are many obscure and one hit wonders that released very interesting things from 68-70...like East Of Eden that was mentioned above....the PA proto prog page lists some of them. Spirit were doing interesting things even before 12 Dreams was released. I always enjoyed Touch...sadly they only did the one LP. And many of the Brit psych-rock things were crossing over into early prog back then....The Move...Pussy Plays....Moonkyte...Andromeda....

Cristi wrote: maybe Vanilla Fudge? Zappa? Deep Purple (Evans era)

I’m always one to give Zappa and the MOI credit as being the first, but determining the first is not the same as determining the “origin”. For that we need to know who was influenced by who. Zappa was a long way from the center of Prog. He did play at least once over Interstellar Overdrive with post-Barrett Floyd. He did do some work with the LSO (I’m not actually sure when). What other influence did Zappa have on the English underground? Zappa’s band members after leaving the MOI tended to go back to Jazz, Chamber Music or other obscurity. Few bands other than Beefheart were an offshoot of the MOI. The Genesis folks were heavily influenced by the Nice. I myself am not sure what other acts were. Tull influenced a segment of Prog, but not more than a segment. The Wild Flowers and Soft Machine were early occupiers of the underground and yielded numerous offshoot bands. King Crimson seem to have influenced many. On the other hand, much like the MOI, in spite of the number band members who came and went, they did little to expand the number of bands.

Atavachron wrote: To me the question is why rock 'n roll?--  why did rock progress so fully when pop and blues and folk and even jazz were generally stagnant and fixed in place.   What properties did rock have that allowed such growth?   And was it the era, or the music itself?   It's easy to say this artist or that artist were the "first", "pioneering", "seminal", all the recorded evidence is there to be analyzed and noted as influential.   But what caused the incredible rise of rock as art and its unexpected triumph, both commercially and creatively? ~

Edited by siLLy puPPy - June 06 2018 at 18:36

Like they say, you hit the nail on the head. There was a stirring revolution in many areas of society, sexual, civil liberties, anti war movements, women liberation, etc, people were experimenting with mind bending drugs and at the same time the transistor revolution in electronics was connecting the world more closely than ever, creating new ways of communicating and expressing itself. Music couldn't stay away from it, and rock was the new kid in the block, eager to separate itself from the rest of popular music. I think that's the cocktail that brought us prog music.

I think most people on here would agree that for the most part full blown prog didn't really happen until the KC debut. There were possibly a few exceptions before that such as the Nice but as a full blown genre I think it's safe to say that ITCOTCK is the one that kicked the doors down. 

Also really much proto-prog on great Love´s Forever Changes-album. I like much Spirit 60-70 begin albums too!

^Also Zappa´s Absolutely Free, it´s maybe the first prog album (specially first side).